Page 3 of Beauty At Stake
“On our way,” I said to our team through the comm device.
“Copy that, Ambassador,” Extinguisher Joss Teagan said. “Van's running.”
“Ready,” James, the Storm Vex, said.
I got up behind the Biters and brushed a hand over Vanessa's back. She showed no indication of feeling it—just kept walking and smiling wickedly at Leo. The vampire hunters glanced back at last, grinning as well when they saw that their prey was following them like lambs to the slaughter.
We neared the club entrance. Our team closed in. The vampire hunters went out first and paused on the sidewalk.
“Now,” I whispered.
With the help of a little magic, we had snagged a parking spot outside the club earlier that night. As the vampire hunters turned to talk to the Biters, the side door of the van behind them opened. The extinguishers inside jumped out as the rest of our team closed in, circling the vampire hunters and cutting off any chance of escape. The Bite Vexes backed away, then sauntered off to their car, parked in front of the van. James was in the driver's seat and the car was running, as he promised.
We had a nice mix of vexes on the team—Storm, Tide, Quake, Pack, and, of course, Bite. Or, as Kill liked to call them—Stormtroopers, Tiders, Quakers, Puppies, and Biters. An assortment like that gave us a winning hand of magic. But we still needed to be careful. Even though Biters could protectthemselves, especially Vex Biters, we were treating them like politicians with a lot of death threats under their belts.
James sped off with the Bite Witches as soon as they were in the car, leaving a thick fog behind him to cover their trail. Meanwhile, the extinguishers grabbed the vampire hunters and shoved them into the van while the remaining vexes subdued them. Killian, Star, and I covered our tracks, using magic to make anyone who was watching turn away, utterly uninterested.
It took all of five seconds to catch the human vampire hunters.
Chapter Two
“Too easy,” Killian muttered, his stare locked on the van in front of us.
“Stop saying that,” I huffed. “You'll jinx us.”
Star, sprawled in the back of the tiny car we had borrowed from the local human council house, snorted a laugh and smoothed his linen suit. The fabric had been his only concession to Thailand's weather. “You don't believe in jinxes, do you, Ambassador?” he drawled.
“Can it, Sex Monster.” Killian took a corner, his stare sweeping the road. “The adults are on a mission.”
Star chuckled. “By all means. It's not as if I could help you look for—fuck!” He burst upright. “Left!”
I reacted instantly, my hand spearing out the open window toward the left. I hesitated only long enough to locate the target—a large man on a motorcycle—then blasted him with Firethorns. I had a lot of magic at my disposal, but most of it was fatal. And I didn't want to kill anyone without being certain that they needed killing. Especially not on a public street.
Vines appeared out of thin air, winding around the man on the motorcycle in seconds. He cried out as giant thorns pierced his leather jacket, and then his cry turned into a screamas they caught fire. He crashed into a food cart, rolling away from his cycle and over the sidewalk to put out the flames.
“You vicious thing,” Star murmured. “He either burns or stabs himself as he puts out the flames. Gods, you're incredible.”
“Seren!” Killian nodded to the right.
“Allow me.” Star flicked his hand and a flame burst up from the street, hot enough to instantly melt a second motorcycle's tires.
This rider crashed into a tuk-tuk—one of those little three-wheeled open vehicles you find all over Thailand. The tuk-tuk driver was not pleased. He shouted and shook a fist at the man, even as the guy stumbled to his feet.
“Another,” Killian said.
“We got this one, Ambassador,” Extinguisher Tanya Murdock said through the radio set on the car's dash.
The street cracked beneath a third motorcycle rider off to the right but ahead of the van.
“That was the Quaker, not you,” Kill said.
“Kill,” I chided. “She said, 'we.'”
“It's handled,” Murdock said.
I snorted a laugh. “She told you.”
“Not yet, it isn't.” Star looked over his shoulder. “I have to admire their tenacity.”
